Stupid For You
by anneshathagay
Summary: She might have come off as snarky when Quinn mentioned the professor she was dating, but Santana was actually worried about the blonde to a level beyond friendship. Trigger Warning: Contains abuse and sexual assault.


**this idea for a one-shot came to me the other day while rewatching the thanksgiving episode. i realized the professor that quinn dated wasn't addressed after the slap fest. sure, quinn eventually told santana she hates men and that was probably related to him, but let's pretend that didn't happen and change things up a bit for more depth and quinntana goodness, shall we?**

 **i'd like to issue a trigger warning for abuse and sexual assault. if you don't think you can handle those subject matters, i suggest you skip this. it's okay everyone has something that makes them uncomfortable that they'd rather not read about.**

 **i have literally no breathing room this upcoming week so this is as good a time as any to get this done. this is obviously set right after thanksgiving to avoid any confusion and finn is still alive after the time jump.**

After closing the door to her dorm, Santana sighed as she removed her jacket and tossed it on the bed, paying no attention to her roommate who was simply studying at their desk. They hadn't really talked much since they first met so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary to not greet each other. Not even after getting back from a one week trip to Lima.

It did sting that Brittany blew the Latina off when she got back because the tall blonde had already made plans with Sam. Santana briefly wondered if something was going on between the two but almost instantly shook the thoughts out of her head because it hurt too much to even think about the possibility of Brittany in someone else's arms. She may have not admitted it to anyone but it was obvious Quinn knew. She always knew when something was bothering Santana and this was no exception despite the two best friends not having seen each other in a while.

Speaking of Quinn, Santana couldn't help but feel a tinge a guilt at the words that were said in the end. She was known for being quick tempered and what Quinn was doing was wrong in so many ways but she wished she had handled the situation differently. But to be fair, Quinn did know how to push Santana's buttons and vice versa, hence all the fights that often got out of control.

Santana plopped down on her bed after having changed into more comfortable clothes. It was getting late but she just couldn't get what happened with Quinn out of her head. It really did fill her with worry and concern what the blonde was doing with her professor. Quinn has made so many mistakes in her life and has paid the price for every single one of them in less than pleasant ways. Santana just didn't want it to happen again. They weren't in high school anymore. The consequences could be worse.

In order to put her mind at ease, Santana grabbed her phone and texted Quinn, asking her if she could visit Yale sometime this weekend so that they could talk. It didn't take long for the blonde to respond, setting the date for Saturday afternoon since that was her only free time. Santana sighed in content at the idea of trying a different approach; no insulting, no bringing up Beth and no mentioning Quinn's history with boys. Since she was now relaxed, Santana finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

Back at Yale, Quinn was still studying for a psychology test she had the next day but couldn't seem to focus. She knew why Santana wanted to visit. She had been trying to build up the courage to bring it up herself so she was glad it was happening. Quinn had also been doing a lot of thinking about what was said. It was obvious Santana isn't jealous of her. Who would be? It was just the blonde's attempt at deflecting. It's not every day you get called out on not visiting your daughter enough and needing a man to define her life.

Everyone knew how Quinn felt about feminism. She had spoken out about it on numerous occasions but always seems to get involved in toxic relationships and this one with her professor was no different. She often wonders if it's because she still craves affection from other men that she didn't receive from her father when she was younger.

In reality, men really had no effect on her if they didn't have a purpose to fulfill. Both Finn and Sam were for the sake of popularity and she was drunk when she slept with Puck. Other than that, they only had Beth in common. Her psychology professor Matthew Harrington was just to ensure her life is set for the future.

With that said, Quinn was brought out of her thoughts by the alarm she had so impatiently been waiting for. This was even scarier than the first time she took the test. She couldn't afford this to happen again while she worked on graduating Yale at the top of her class. It was such a relief her roommate wasn't back yet because she really wouldn't want anyone to find out about the possibility of her being pregnant yet again.

Quinn could feel her heart thumping against her chest in her ears as she picked up the stick that would determine whether her life would fall apart again or not. Her heart nearly dropped when her eyes fell on the plus sign she dreaded ever having to see again. She wanted to scream, cry and just curse herself because she was so careless and allowed this to happen. This was not how she was supposed to start her future. She wanted it to be different. Quinn didn't have much more time to dwell on it because the door clicked and opened to reveal the last person she wanted to see.

"Well -" Matthew started but was immediately cut off by Quinn.

"I'm pregnant." Quinn blurted out and she could practically see the wheels turning in her professor's head at the revelation.

"A-Are you going to keep it?" Quinn nodded. She didn't believe in abortions due to the environment she grew up in. "Well, I won't mind if you don't tell my wife." Quinn furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. He couldn't actually be serious. "In the mean time…" Matthew cupped her cheek and leaned in for a kiss but was immediately pushed away. "What?"

"I don't think you heard me right. I said I'm -"

"Pregnant. With my baby. I know."

"So, what are you trying to do here?"

"I did say I'm fine with it if you don't tell my wife, right?" Matthew leaned in again but ended up getting a full hand slap to the cheek this time. "What was that for?"

"You may be fine with it but I'm not. I can't do this anymore. This is wrong. It took a second positive pregnancy test and a friend from back home to help me realize I need to get it together."

"What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is you need to get out _now_." Matthew sighed in frustration and nodded.

"You're going to regret this. Good luck on raising that baby alone in college because no one in their right mind would help you or love you." Quinn clenched her hand so hard her nails were starting to dig into her skin as her professor started to leave only to turn back to her one last time. "Oh, and you should probably study more for your psych test tomorrow. It won't be easy like it usually is for you." And with that, he left.

As soon as the door closed, Quinn fell to her knees and started sobbing uncontrollably. Quinn Fabray completely broke down. It seemed unfair that no matter how much she strived to be the strong and independent woman her conscience wanted her to be, it would keep taunting her with her failures. A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she let out one last agonized shriek.

Quinn took a deep inhaled breath in attempt to calm herself. She stood up and made her way to the bathroom, splashing water at her face above the sink. Staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she was shocked. She looked okay. Completely fine even. She pulled her lips into a smile and let out a frightened sob when she realized that anyone could easily mistake that lackluster grin for real happiness. It amazed her to think how she could look so ordinarily normal while being torn apart inside. She was smiling a little, a smile with a twist to it, like the smile of a child determined not to weep.

It took a few more minutes for Quinn to steady herself before going back to her dorm. She tried focusing on her studies but that didn't really work out. She closed her book in frustration and threw it across the room. Studying was no use. She knew Matthew was going to fail her whether she answered the questions correctly or not. Quinn slipped into her comfy Yale shirt and some sweatpants before texting Santana that she has to tell her something important but it will have to wait for Saturday. Quinn then cried herself to sleep.

The week went by quickly for Santana. Unfortunately, Quinn wasn't so lucky. She had failed her psychology test, as expected, and Matthew was always on her in class. He called on her every time she didn't know the answer and kept finding new ways to make her look like a horrible student. He wouldn't even let her go to the bathroom, knowing all she wanted was to puke her guts out. She even got called into the dean's office for unusual and inattentive behavior in that particular class. That week just all around sucked for Quinn.

But now, it was over. It was finally Saturday afternoon and the time for her big talk with Santana was approaching. Quinn was feeling a little anxious. She couldn't stop pacing around in her dorm, thankful her roommate rarely ever stayed there on the weekends. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours and Saturday afternoon turned into Saturday night. Quinn couldn't even text Santana to ask where she was because her battery was dead and her roommate had borrowed her charger.

"Look who's still in her dorm on a Saturday night." Quinn abruptly stopped pacing and turned to see her professor standing at the door.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you." Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and sighed.

"I already told you I'm not doing this -"

"My wife left me." Quinn was a little taken aback by the sudden revelation.

"What?"

"She found out I was having an affair so she left."

"Well, good for her then. I may not know her but I do know for a _fact_ that she deserves better than someone who -" Matthew suddenly grabbed Quinn's wrist, cutting her sentence short, and harshly pulled her closer to him before kicking the door closed.

"You told her."

"What? No, I didn't." Quinn was trying to break free but he had a strong grip on her.

"She left me because of you and now you're going to pay." The blonde's eyes widened and Matthew simply chuckled at how desperately she was struggling and squirming away from his touch. Quinn knew what he meant.

"Please don't." Quinn pleaded, her voice cracking. She internally cursed herself for being so weak and not being able to stay strong. She couldn't trust her voice in alarming situations. It always failed her.

"Don't fight back and it won't hurt as much." Matthew whispered in a voice that sent chills down Quinn's spine. He slapped her right across the face to keep her quiet, managing to get a whimper out of the vulnerable blonde. "That was for last time." The professor said before pushing Quinn down on the floor, knocking the wind right out of her with a harsh kick to the stomach. She let out a pained cry and closed her eyes shut, clutching her stomach as if it was a way to protect the life growing inside of her. Her eyes snapped open when she heard the sound of a zipper being pulled open.

"Please. You can't…" Quinn swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat before speaking. "You can't do this."

But he wasn't listening. He bent down in order to remove her sweatpants. Quinn tried to sit up and fight back but a punch to the face stopped her, busting her lip open in the process. She was sent right back down as her eyes glazed over to the side. She didn't try to fight him anymore. It was no use. She knew he would easily overpower her and knock her right back down again.

Besides, what would come of stopping him? He had already taken everything from her. He had already won. All she could do was close her eyes and bite her tongue as he entered her and put her through the most painful experience of her life. Quinn could tell he was enjoying this. He enjoyed making her suffer. Although, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of watching her cry.

But you know what they say; you can't always get what you want. She heard him chuckle as a broken sob forced its way out of her throat. Quinn Fabray had given up. After everything the world put her through, Quinn Fabray had finally admitted defeat.

All Quinn could hear after that was the door being opened and a gasp so she slowly cracked her eyes open. The blonde's vision was blurry due to all the tears she had shed but what she did see filled her with relief. Santana had barged in and pulled Matthew off of Quinn, knocking him out cold with a single punch to the face. The Latina's eyes then softened when her sights found her best friend curled up in a ball on the floor, looking so weak and defenseless.

Santana, not really sure how Quinn would react, bent down and cautiously placed her hand on the broken blonde's shoulder. She did feel her flinch but that was before Quinn launched herself at the Latina, wrapping her arms around her neck as she sobbed into her chest.

"Thank you so much." Quinn choked out in between sobs.

At that point, Santana didn't even care about the possibility of the tears soaking her shirt. All she cared about at that moment was comforting Quinn. All she ever truly cared about was Quinn. So, she pulled the blonde closer and ran her hand up and down her back while trying to stay strong for her friend herself. It was hard but she was determined to do it. For Quinn.

"It's going to be okay. _You're_ going to be okay."

Quinn sniffed and slightly nodded against her best friend's chest. Santana took it as a good sign until the blonde burst into tears again, not being able to contain them. The Latina simply continued rubbing her back and whispering soothing words into her ear, hoping her actions were doing some good. Once the sobs were reduced to occasional low whimpers, Santana tried to move over only for Quinn to hold on even tighter.

"Don't go. Please."

"I won't. I've got you."

 ** _5 years later_**

Once Quinn entered Breadstix, she saw everyone that was supposed to meet up there for old times' sake; Brittany and Sam, Rachel and Finn, Kurt and Blaine, even Puck and Lauren. She saw everyone but Santana. She sighed and figured her girlfriend was just going to be late. So, she went over to the booth they had reserved and greeted all of her friends with a smile, thankful her sister had agreed to babysit her son Charlie so she could get her mind off the fact it was the anniversary of when… _it_ happened.

However, one awful event did trigger a string of amazing moments she wouldn't trade anything for and she owed it all to Santana. As she sat down next to Lauren, Quinn couldn't help but start reminiscing about everything that's happened since then. About everything that's happened since Santana, in Quinn's mind, saved her.

To start things off, Matthew Harrington is currently rotting in jail for what he did to not only Quinn but to many other girls who were, and understandably so, too shaken up to report it before the blonde did with a lot of encouragement from her then best friend. It took a while for Quinn to even be in close distance to any man but Santana made sure she, and the baby, were always safe and protected.

Upon learning about the affair and pregnancy, Yale acted insensitive towards Quinn and kicked her out of the school. Considering Santana dropped out of the University of Louisville during the week leading up to her visit, they had nowhere else to go. Lima was not an option because they all swore that once they'd get out of there, they'd never look back under any circumstances.

Besides, they couldn't have gone back even if they wanted to. When Quinn got kicked out of her house the first time she got knocked up, she went to live with Santana. But when the Latina came out as gay to her parents, they were none too pleased. They tolerated a teen mom in their house but not a lesbian due to their religious beliefs.

So, Quinn and Santana were welcomed with open arms by the Pierce family who were much more open minded. Santana contemplated the idea of going back there but she didn't want to intrude anymore than they already had in the past… that and she couldn't handle seeing Brittany with someone else. It was still too soon for her and Quinn knew that.

Thankfully, Kurt and Rachel didn't hesitate to offer up their place after hearing about the situation the two girls found themselves in. Quinn and Santana were flown out to New York and lived in the Hummelberry residence for a while.

But Santana knew they couldn't keep it up. Sure, Kurt and Rachel were great but she didn't want to bother them with the expenses that came with having a baby and the apartment was not suitable for a pregnant woman. Only problem was they didn't have the money for their own place.

It took a lot of convincing but Santana ended up joining the army to handle all the finances. Quinn was very hesitant to let her go, especially everything the Latina had done for her. She couldn't afford losing her. She didn't know if she'd be able to handle it. Quinn needed Santana like Rachel needed stardom. It was then Santana who kept telling Quinn that she never needed anybody.

During a very emotional goodbye, Santana promised Quinn she'd be back and ready to take care of her and the baby. Considering the blonde was still reluctant, the Latina reassured her it was for the best, leaving it at a kiss to the lips that just felt right for the moment even though they were just friends… or at least they thought they were.

Santana made good on her promise to come back and always told Quinn the same thing every time she got deployed, not to mention the kiss that was becoming almost like a habit and yet was confusing for both girls. They just never found the right time to talk about it. Most of the times Santana came back were spent teaching Kurt and Rachel what to do if Quinn ever had a panic attack since she was still having a hard time coping with what happened. Quinn would forever be grateful for that even though Kurt and Rachel could never have the same effect as Santana.

More often than not, Santana was there to hold Quinn if she ever woke up screaming because of a nightmare about her professor. When it would happen while Santana was away in the army, Quinn would just clutch her pillow and pretend it was the Latina since her scent was on it from all the times they slept in the same bed because of how overprotective Santana was of the blonde. No stranger was allowed even ten feet from her.

After a while, Santana had earned enough money to buy themselves a decent looking apartment not far from Kurt and Rachel's place as a way to ensure Quinn would never feel lonely or scared when she wasn't there. Quinn and Santana still talked on the phone and face timed whenever they could but it was not the same.

There was a scare at what point while Santana was away. She almost died due to a bombing attack but ended up getting a scar on her side. The time spent in the hospital to find out if her best friend was okay was absolutely nerve wracking for Quinn. It was only when she came so close to losing her that she realized her true feelings for Santana. Quinn might've come off as clingy when Santana got discharged but she didn't care. All she cared about was that the person who meant the most to her was safe and momentarily back with her.

Quinn knew going to war was taking its toll on Santana both physically and emotionally. She couldn't even imagine what she went through or saw in her time there. But Quinn still couldn't convince Santana to stay and not go back. The Latina was determined to get Quinn the life she deserved at _any_ cost after everything the blonde had gone through.

Then Finn and Puck joined the army. Saying goodbye to Santana was a lot more easier knowing they would be there by her side. Quinn and Rachel spent more time together whenever Finn and Santana would leave, going to each doctor's appointment together, also having Kurt to lean on. Blaine, Brittany and Sam were all there for support when they eventually got to New York themselves.

Santana was there when Quinn gave birth. She wouldn't have missed it for the world. She held Quinn's hand the entire time, even when she felt like the blonde's grip was getting too tight for comfort. They both had tears in their eyes when Quinn held her baby boy, who was later named Charlie, for the first time. None of them even noticed they were still holding each other's hands even after the birth.

It was on the day Quinn got discharged from the hospital that they shared the kiss which made things official between them. The drive back home was silent until Santana turned on the radio and started singing along to a song that perfectly described her feelings for Quinn. It was clear Quinn understood. Once the car was parked, Quinn leaned and cupped Santana's cheek their lips met in a slow and gentle kiss. After pulling apart, they just gazed breathlessly into each other's eyes.

"I love you." Santana said it first.

"I love you too." And Quinn returned it.

After Charlie was born, Quinn had her hands full with taking care of him but Santana was always there to lend a hand… Well, when she was there. When she wasn't, everyone who had moved to New York from Lima were more than happy to help and comfort her since taking care of a baby proved to be more difficult with the stress of knowing your girlfriend _and_ savior could die fighting in the army. She needed a distraction.

That's where the idea of applying to college in New York came from. Santana was happy for her but warned her not to overwork herself and to be careful. It was getting adorable how protective and concerned for Quinn's safety Santana could get.

In the end, Quinn decided to take up photography since it had always been a hobby of hers. Sam even often joked about her being the one to photograph him for some big time cover in the future. Both him and Brittany seemed so excited at the idea. She was glad Santana started warming up to them as a couple because they really were cute together.

And that brings us back to the present at Breadstix. Quinn was now a successful photographer, of course having been behind one of Sam's photo shoots at one point, going out with all of her friends who had also done what they set out to do as well.

It was times like these that made her almost forget all the bad things in life. _Almost_. It still hurt sometimes. Quinn has also had some trouble being intimate with Santana at some points, despite knowing her girlfriend would never do anything to harm her. They hadn't broken up ever since they started dating. Not even when they fought. They were living in an amazing apartment in New York City of all places, so whenever they did fight, they simply reminded themselves of how far they had both come.

Speaking of Santana, she was on her way back from her very last mission since they figured she wouldn't need to keep going at this point. She's been gone for so many months in order to do the best that she can during her last stay so Quinn was beyond excited to see her again. It was in Quinn's nature to be worried due to Santana being late.

It actually was the first time since _that_ day Santana had ever been late. She blamed herself for so long because she thinks that if she had gotten to Yale sooner as planned, then maybe she would've been able to stop Quinn's professor from doing what he did. So it was odd for Santana to be late to practically anything. Especially when it involved Quinn.

"Are you okay, Quinn?" Rachel asked, noticing her friend looked absent minded and that she slightly jumped when she addressed her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." They all had skeptical looks on their faces so Quinn had to tell them the truth. "Okay, I'm not. You guys know Santana's never late to anything."

"Puck and I know from experience that coming back home from the army, especially the last time, can be tiring. Maybe she's not -" Finn started but was soon interrupted by Quinn.

"She is coming. She would have told me if she's not. What if something happened to her? Are we supposed to just stay here and act like nothing's wrong? Are we not going to do anything at all? For all I know, she could be -"

"Quinn, calm down." Brittany said in attempt to ease her close friend's nerves.

"Why don't you just text her?" Kurt suggested.

"And if she doesn't answer, her battery probably just ran out." Blaine added.

"Or she forgot to charge her phone last night. That always happens to me." Sam said and both Puck and Brittany nodded their heads in agreement.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Lauren asked, receiving a glare from Quinn. The last time one of their phones' batteries was dead, she fell victim to sexual assault.

"Don't go there, Quinn." Puck warned her. It was as if he could read her mind. Before Quinn even had the _chance_ to go there, her phone buzzed revealing a new text message.

 _I can't make it today. Tell everyone I'm sorry._ – Santana.

"She's not coming." Quinn sadly announced to her long time friends. She sighed and got ready to leave.

Quinn thought it was cruel that the sun continued to rise, to welcome in each new day without Santana's laughter or even her grumpy complaints and sarcastic comments. Quinn wants to hear Santana snort at something stupid she did or fart and blame it on a dog nearby. Quinn wants Santana to leave her coat on the floor and forget to take her dirty shoes off, leaving a dirty trail for Quinn when she gets home.

Quinn was about to leave but Finn stopped her. "Just wait a second." Finn looked at both Sam and Puck before nodding towards the already set up stage with three microphones. Quinn knitted her eyebrows closer together in confusion as she watched the three of them head towards the stage, standing up behind the microphones as Finn once again spoke. "We'd like sing a song dedicated to Quinn Fabray courtesy of her girlfriend Santana Lopez."

" We've all dated you at some point, Quinn. You're amazing and all but I think it's pretty clear you belong with Santana." Puck added as both Sam and Finn nodded in agreement.

"I'm pretty you'll recognize this song. Just know it's currently being sung to you for a reason." Sam said and Quinn couldn't help but crack a small smile, knowing Santana was behind this even though she wasn't here. Her smile got wider when Finn started the song, immediately recognizing it as the song Santana had sung along to before they kissed and admitted their feelings to each other.

 _Hey, tell me what you want me to say  
You know I'm stupid for you  
Hey, can you come-a come out and play?  
You know I'm stupid for you_

It was then Sam who took the lead.

 _I'm color coding my moods  
You're yellow, I'm natural blue  
Let's get together and be green like my insides_

 _At least I'll match your eyes  
Jealous and hypnotized  
Let's match our faces and be equally in love_

Quinn didn't expect herself to start tearing up so easily as they all sang the chorus together.

 _Hey, tell me what you want me to say  
You know I'm stupid for you  
Hey, can you come-a come out and play?  
You know I'm stupid for you_

Puck started singing the next part. The one everyone would expect him to choose.

 _Let's trash our whole afternoon  
Reciting recycled news  
Until we melt and go back to your hotel room_

 _I'll be your new favorite tune  
I'll be your black cloud by June  
But only when you miss the rain like I miss you_

After that was done, Finn sang the next part in a low voice before they all sang the chorus again.

 _Just double dare me and I promise now that I'll stay  
It's not like you're married but I still got carried away_

 _Hey, tell me what you want me to say  
You know I'm stupid for you  
Hey, can you come-a come out and play?  
You know I'm stupid for you_

Finn then once again took over.

 _You're playing ring 'round my head  
I wear you like a halo  
You're a symphony, I'm just a sour note_

 _I'll take what I can get  
The best is hard to grip when everybody wants you  
And everybody wants you_

Puck repeated the same part in a lower voice before the chorus was sung by all three of them.

 _You're playing ring 'round my head  
I wear you like a halo  
You're a symphony, I'm just a sour note_

 _I'll take what I can get  
The best is hard to grip when everybody wants you_

 _Hey, tell me that you want me to stay  
You know I'm stupid for you  
Hey, can you come-a come out and play  
You know I'm stupid for you_

Sam then sang the part both Puck and Finn already did but in a stronger voice.

 _You're playing ring 'round my head  
I wear you like a halo  
You're a symphony, I'm just a sour note_

 _I'll take what I can get  
The best is hard to grip when everybody wants you  
And everybody wants you_

First it was Finn.

 _And everybody wants you_

Then it was Puck.

 _And everybody wants you_

Then Sam.

 _And everybody wants you_

And finally… Santana.

 _And everybody wants you_

As soon as she heard _her_ voice, Quinn turned around to see Santana. The blonde knew she should be running towards her at this point, throwing herself into her arms but she couldn't. She was frozen. She didn't know if Santana was hurt. After so long without her, Quinn knew she'd just die if she left now. Quinn needed her. She hoped Santana still needed her. When Quinn tried to speak, her voice faltered into unintelligible croaks. She wanted to tell Santana she loved her.

Quinn could feel her body shake, crying for the missed time they will never get back, crying to release the tension of it all. Santana wiped the tears away with a calloused finger, bringing Quinn more relief than her heart could hold, running her hand through her blonde hair, as if she couldn't quite believe the blonde wasn't part of an almost forgotten dream.

Seconds passed, Quinn's brain taking Santana in, struggling to comprehend that she wasn't one of the pictures she kept beside her bed; that she is real. Her brain couldn't formulate a thought, at least not one based in any language.

Before she knew it, Quinn was hugging Santana tightly, her tears dripping from porcelain cheeks onto the Latina's uniform. Santana's arms were encircled around Quinn, making the blonde forget where she was except for that smiling face in front of her. The warmth of Santana's body was against Quinn's cold skin, giving her hope like the Latina always did.

One of Santana's hands clasped around Quinn's lower back, the other stroking her hair. With each soft touch, more tears fell. Tears neither of them wiped away. After so long, they had the chance to make new memories and wasting time wasn't on the agenda. When Santana kissed Quinn, it was sweet and gentle with a taste of salty tears. Quinn wanted to speak but all I could do was choke out four words. "Don't go. Not again." Santana's mouth painted a soft smile and she nodded once before folding Quinn in her arms again.

The two reunited girls were so caught up in the moment that they didn't even notice all the teary eyes in the room as everyone present clapped. Quinn was holding onto Santana so tightly, afraid the Latina would disappear if she let go or even loosened her grip. But Santana gently slipped out of Quinn's arms, receiving an adorable pout from the blonde in return.

"Even after all this time, you still thank me, claiming that I saved you." Santana started, making sure everyone in the restaurant, especially Quinn, was listening. "Well, I think it's the other way around. You dwell so much on your mistakes and think everything is just handed to you that you don't even take into consideration everything you've done for yourself and everyone else around you. You're the most selfless person I know, Quinn. You brought both Beth and Charlie into this world. You tutored Brittany before and after you graduated. You made Rachel prom queen just because she was having a bad week. You helped Puck pass his last exam so that he could graduate with all of us. You were there for Sam and his siblings when they lost their home. You immediately forgave Lauren after what she revealed your big secret. You didn't try to get even with Finn so many times even though you knew he deserved it. Hell, Kurt and Blaine never needed to pay for couples' therapy if they had a fight because you were always there to help." Quinn chuckled as a tear made its way down her cheek. "And you… you gave me a second chance at happiness. I honestly don't know where my life would be if it wasn't for you. I have no idea how we lasted this long because I'm _damn_ sure I don't deserve you. You stayed strong through all the crap life threw at you and I _fucking_ love you for that. Not even Professor Patches was able to stop you. But you don't always have to be strong. You can cry whenever you feel like it. Never hold it all in. I hope you know that I'll always be there for you no matter what and this should finalize things." Santana pulled out a red velvet box from her pocket, hearing a collective gasp from everyone in the restaurant as Quinn clasped a hand over her mouth. Santana got down on one knee and opened the box to reveal the most beautiful ring Quinn had ever seen. "Quinn Fabray, will you marry me?"

"Are you serious?" Quinn managed to choke out.

"Well, marriage is about finding the person you want to annoy for the rest of your life, isn't it?"

"Oh, shut up." They both smiled and chuckled at their playfulness.

"So, is that a -"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, I will marry you, Santana Lopez." Santana had no idea how she managed to keep it together long enough to slip the ring on Quinn's finger.

"I love you so much." Santana said in a quivery voice as she tried to shed as little tears as possible.

"I love you more." Quinn answered, struggling to do the exact same thing.

"No, I do!" The two spun around only to be enveloped by the small arms of Charlie. Quinn looked up, mouthing an inaudible 'thank you' to her sister who was standing at the door.

"We're going to be a family." Santana said before Quinn answered.

"You, Me and Charlie."

 **this is officially the longest and hardest thing i have ever written. please leave a review or favorite if you enjoyed! it took a lot to get this done. i know someone who's been raped before and it really sucks. no one should have to go through something like that. if you're reading this and have been a victim of sexual assault of any kind then you're freaking strong as hell for living through that. never lose hope. song is stupid for you by waterparks.**


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